The Anaji West District of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental sanitation and community development by organising a clean-up exercise in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality after receiving approval to observe the Sabbath during the nationwide sanitation campaign.
The exercise, held on Sunday, July 12, followed an official request by the Atlantic View Ghana Conference of the SDA Church to the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) for exemption from Saturday’s National General Cleaning Exercise to enable members to observe the Sabbath.
With the Assembly granting the request, members of the Anaji West District, led by District Pastor Dominic Bonney, mobilised to clean the St. Peter’s School enclave in the Anaji East Electoral Area.
Armed with cutlasses, brooms, shovels and other cleaning tools, the volunteers weeded overgrown bushes, swept the surroundings and desilted choked drains to improve sanitation and reduce the risk of flooding and disease outbreaks in the area.
Speaking to Almighty News, Pastor Bonney said the initiative marks the beginning of a sustained sanitation campaign by the church.
“This is not going to be a one-off exercise. In line with a directive from the South West Ghana Union Conference, we will undertake this clean-up every month to support our communities,” he said.
He disclosed that the church would continue to engage the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly to identify communities that require urgent sanitation interventions.
Pastor Bonney stressed that while the Constitution guarantees every citizen the freedom to worship, Christians also have a responsibility to contribute meaningfully to national development through voluntary community service.
“As citizens, we have the right to worship according to our faith, but we also have a responsibility to support national development. Community service is one of the practical ways we can demonstrate our faith,” he noted.
Assembly Member for the Anaji East Electoral Area, Mrs. Linda York, commended the church for the initiative, describing it as an exemplary act of civic responsibility.
She urged other churches, faith-based organisations and community groups to emulate the SDA Church’s commitment to keeping communities clean.
The Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, Lawyer Philip Fiifi Buckman, who visited the exercise on his way to church, also praised the volunteers for their dedication.
Describing the clean-up as “true Christianity and patriotism,” he assured residents that all refuse and debris collected along the road shoulders would be evacuated by Monday evening.
“This is true Christianity and patriotism. I commend every member who sacrificed their time to serve the community. We will ensure that all the debris collected is cleared by Monday evening,” the MP said.
He further prayed for God’s blessings upon all those who participated in the exercise, expressing hope that their contribution would inspire others to support efforts aimed at creating cleaner, healthier communities.
The clean-up forms part of broader efforts by the Seventh-day Adventist Church to complement national sanitation initiatives while remaining faithful to its observance of the Sabbath.
